CINCINNATI — L. Helen Rankin, a longtime Cincinnati leader and former Ohio State Representative, died at age 89 last week.
Rankin, originally from Georgia, attended the University of Cincinnati and later went on to work as an intake supervisor.
Rankin was the first Black woman to serve in the Ohio General Assembly. She joined the legislature after her husband, who was elected in 1971, died in office in 1978. Rankin was appointed to complete his term and was later elected to serve again.
For 16 years, Rankin worked in the Ohio House fighting for health care issues and the rights of women, children and those in need. According to the Ohio Statehouse, she was known as a "quiet legislator," and her supporters said she "planned purposefully, prepared prayerfully, proceeded hopefully and pursued persistently."
Rankin served as the chairwoman of the Ohio House Human Services Committee, leading the passage of a bill requiring insurance companies to pay for mammograms.
She also served on the House Finance and Appropriations Committee and spent 12 years as the chair of the Human Resources Committee.
State Rep. Juanita O. Brent (D-Cleveland) issued a statement following Rankin's passing.
"Helen Rankin was more than a public servant; she was a pioneer and a visionary whose courage fundamentally reshaped Ohio’s political landscape," Brent said. "By becoming the first Black woman to walk these halls as an elected representative, she did not just occupy a seat; she created a path. Every woman of color serving in the Statehouse today, myself included, stands tall on her strong, capable shoulders."
Rankin retired from the legislature in 1994 and went on to work with a variety of organizations within the Cincinnati community, including the Shalom Habitat for Humanity Project, the Emanuel Community Center and New Vision United Methodist Church.
Rankin was also a member of the Hamilton County Women's Democratic Club, the Harriet Tubman Black Women's Democratic Club and the Third Ward Democratic Club, according to the Ohio Statehouse.
